Secret
by mysterywriter94
Summary: Galinda Upland has a secret. A secret that will end up destroying her completely if someone doesn't find out what it is. Warning: mentions of physical, emotional, sexual abuse, and neglect. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: There are many unexplored storylines out in the world of fanfiction. I'd like to see where this one takes me. The Galinda I portray here will be very different than the one you all know and love, because she grew up differently. Also, there are some book elements to come in. You'll see as they appear. I realize some of Oz is modernized. Well, the time period sort of annoys me so...I changed that a little.**

Galinda Upland, of the Upper Uplands, of course, was every boy's dream in Oz. Perfectly blonde ringlets that came to rest just below her shoulders. Sky blue eyes that sparkled brightly with any emotion which happened to be there. Rosy pink lips, shiny with lip gloss. Porcelin skin that would make a china doll jealous of her. In sum, she was the apple of anyone's eye.

As of now, the eighteen year old girl was standing near her wardrobe, conteplating on what to wear for her first day at Shiz University. She had a vast variety of clothing, varying in fabrics and colors. The one thing which was prominent was either the colors white, green, or blue, her favorite colors. Pink was more for her mother, the more social and dominant authoritave figure of the family. She learned well to hate the color after some bad experiences of ill-fitting dresses and awkward dinner parties with important people she didn't know.

"What to wear," she pondered, looking at all her dresses and skirts in wonder. Finally, she pulled out a pure white dress. That would do. After getting the dress on, she went to her vanity and selected a green ribbon to put into her cream colored hair. She spent extra time tying it. Today was important. If she was to make an impression on the other Shiz students, she had to do it right. After some light make-up(she didn't want to overdo it today), and putting on matching white heels, she was at last ready. Galinda checked her suitcase one last time to make sure it was packed properly before skipping down the stairs for breakfast.

"Momsie, Popsie!" she called out cheerfully. Regina Upland mumbled something to one of their servants before looking at her daughter with a distracted look on her face.

"Yes, darling?" Regina said tiredly. "Your father and I are very busy right now." Galinda pursed her lips together. Her mother always said that.

"Momsie, I was just going to tell you that today's my first day at Shiz. I don't want to be late. Are you and Popsie taking me?"

"I'm afraid not," was the response. "We have a meeting with Frex Thropp, and it cannot be at any other time." She tried not to show her extreme disappointment at that.

"Alright, I'll take a carriage myself, then," she said in the most casual tone she could manage, just as her Popsie Arnold Upland came into the room. He glared at her with such intensity that she involuntarily skittered back a few steps, her blue eyes glittering with fear.

"I hope you're behaving yourself," Arnold barked at her. Galinda flinched ever so slightly, causing her blonde curls to shake with the movement.

"Of...of course." The reply was so soft that she barely heard herself. "I always behave, Popsie." She loved her parents more than anything. Popsie just got a little angry every now and then is all. And Momsie was just too busy to notice or care. The man's gaze softened, if only a little. A servant carried her suitcase down to the bottom of the stairs. Galinda took it and dragged it out of the door, deciding to skip breakfast and just get to Shiz before anything else happened. But when she had one foot out the door, her father grabbed her roughly by the wrist. She winced at the pain, knowing she'd gotten worse before.

"If I hear about you doing wrong..." he said in a meancing tone. She nodded quickly in understanding. He let her go. She rubbed her wrist a good part of the carriage trip, frowning as the bruise formed.

Some time later, she got out, luggage and all. Finally, she was at Shiz University. She tried to contain her excitement as she took in her surroundings. The school was fairly old, but a fresh coat of paint and new posters gave the worn halls some extra life. She wheeled her luggage into the main hall where a large gathering of students waited. She breathed in the scent of musty tiling and magic, grinning to herself. Two girls walked up to her. They looked to be just as rich as she was, or perhaps richer, by the looks of their clothing, hair, and luggage.

"Are you from Gillikin?" one of the girls inquired. Her friend nodded and smiled hopefully.

"Yes, I'm Galinda Upland, of the-"

"Oh, it's her!" the other girl squealed. "You'll fit right in with us. I'm Shenshen, and she's Pfannee." Galinda smiled. Friends already? This seemed like an even better school than she thought.

"Wonderful," she said, giving the pair of girls her best 'sparkling happy' expression, all the while aware of the throbbing bruise on her wrist, the healing cut on her hip, and the cigarette burns on her back. The fabric rubbed roughly against raw skin, which was uncomfortable, but of course she'd gotten worse in the past.

At that moment, the girls looked up. An odd trio had entered the main hall. She saw a fierce sort of man pushing a girl in a wheelchair, and sullenly walking nearby was a girl...but she was _green_. Green as the ribbon she tied in her hair.

"What is _that_?" Pfannee hissed.

"Sorry I'm late," a third girl stammared, stumbling over to them. She nearly bumped into Shenshen, who gave her a disdainful glare.

"Milla, you're always full of nonesense. It's a good thing you're at least upper class...barely." Meanwhile, there was a commotion going on. The green girl was yelling something at the people staring. Galinda didn't hear what was said, but it was clear she looked frustrated and defensive.

"Enough, Elphaba," the man said sternly. "You know why you're here, don't you?"

"To take care of Nessa," she replied in a dull tone, the sudden explosion of anger simmering down to a mild boil in her dark brown eyes. The girl in the chair smiled, oblivious to everything around her, even as she was being laughed at for her disability. Galinda's heart broke for the poor girl, but even as that happened, the emotion was guarded. She could sense something off about that Nessa girl even from over here.

"Here you are," the man said. The box he was holding was opened, revealing a beautiful pair of red ruby slippers.

"Oh, they're wonderful!" the girl cried out. "Elphaba, help me put them on!" The green girl gave a brief glance of longing at the now empty box as she did what was asked of her. When the shoes were on, she hopefully looked inside, but of course there was nothing. She seemed resigned and disappointed at the same time.

"Take care of Nessa," the man instructed sternly. He bent down and looked at the other girl. "Nessie, my darling...I'll miss you so much." He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. The man turned and left without a glance at the girl with green skin. She adjusted her glasses and blinked, mostly appearing unbothered by this.

"Why are you staring at them like they're your best friends?" Pfannee whispered harshly, snapping Galinda out of her thoughts. "_We_ are your friends now, and they don't belong here. Especially that green bean."

"Welcome to Shiz University," a carp-like woman said at the podium. "We have the highest hopes for...some of you." Her eyes rested on Galinda briefly, and then the green girl. She shuddered at the woman's soulless stare.

"My name is Madame Morrible," she continued. "I'm headmistress of this school, and have been for...well, many years, let's just say that." She chuckled at her own joke. No one else laughed. She took out a large stack of index cards and inspected them. "Let's see, room arrangements..." There was a brief silence as she organized her cards.

"Boys first," she decided. "Boq and...Avraic, you'll take the North Blue room in Crage Hall. While this is a school for both sexes, they will be seperated, as custom." She went through dozens of boy names before she finally reached the final boy card, indicated by blue lamination that reflected the lights as she picked it up.

"Fiyero," she called out. All the boys were paired up already. This 'Fiyero' character was nowhere to be seen. "He was supposed to get the mastre dorm...ah, well, he must be late coming from his other school. Now, for the girls." She picked up the sizable stack of pink index cards.

"I hate pink," Galinda said without thinking.

"How absurd," Pfannee sniffed. "Pink is a feminine color that defines us women. How can you despise such a thing?" Shenshen nodded in agreement, while Milla remained silent.

"Shenshen and Milla," Morrible called out. The two girls clung together and walked over to the headmistress, like the boys had done. She handed them their room key and gave them careful instructions on how to get to their assigned room. Pfannee was paired up with someone Galinda didn't know. The girl in the chair, Nessa, she remembered, was told to room with the headmistress. People had begun filtering out of the room. Soon, she was left all alone with Madame Morrible and the "green bean" who was apparently called Elphaba.

"Looks like you are the only ones left," Morrible said sadly, although she didn't look all that sad about it. "I'm sorry, but you two are stuck together. The rooming was entirely random. I had no control over this. Miss Elphaba Thropp, you're to room with Miss Galinda Upland." Pfannee, Shenshen, Milla, and Nessa had reentered the main hall by this time, having already dropped off their things.

"Wait, I was supposed to care for Nessarose!" Elphaba protested.

"I'll be fine," Nessa said quietly from her chair. Shenshen whispered something in her ear. "But I really wish we'd be rooming together," she added quickly.

"There is nothing I can do," Morrible insisted, starting to wheel Nessa away.

"Nessa!" Elphaba cried out, reaching for her chair but not quite succeeding. "Let her go!" she growled. Suddenly, the chair whirled out of the headmistresse's grip and came sailing back into the green girl's hands. Nessa was white with fear, and she shook at the apparent trauma she had just witnessed, for the chair had spun far too much for the invalid's liking.

"Elphaba," Nessa admonished, swallowing nervously. "You promised you wouldn't."

"I can't help it," she snapped in reply, but her eyes had softened in concern. "Are you alright, my sweet?"

"I feel a little...dizzy," Nessa said. She was far too pale and looked slightly sick. "Your magic does strange things to me."

"Magic, did you say?" Morrible boomed, appearing between them. "How would you like to join my sorcery seminar?" Galinda wrinkled her nose in distaste. First, she wasn't getting the room she wanted, and now this. The selflish side of her wanted to fight for it, but the sensible side won over, saying that maybe someone else deserved to be in it more than she did, since she was...worthless. Wait, did she just think that? _Your father doesn't love you, and your mother doesn't either? Your own parents, who created you. That's got to mean something._ The snide voice continued, and she realized this was not her sensible side at all. Yet, she listened to it all the same, knowing it spoke the truth.

"I haven't thought of it," Elphaba was saying while Galinda continued drowning in her own thoughts. Meanwhile, Shenshen, Milla, and Pfannee had crowded over to her again, whispering snide things about the strange looking girl.

"What does she hope to do, degreenify herself?" Pfannee snickered.

"That doesn't sound like such a bad idea, but how will that help those horrible clothes?" Shenshen added, though her words sounded forced and reheresed. "Well, what do you have to say, Milla?"

"She really is...unusual," the clumsy girl said at last, speaking for the first time in awhile. Galinda agreed quietly, not sure what to say that would cause her to fit in. She wasn't sure if Pfannee was a real friend at all, with the way she was acting. But Shenshen and Milla were possibilities; if only she could tear them away from the ring leader of this clique. Meanwhile, Elphaba and Morrible had finished up their conversation and the carp-like woman was wheeling off with Nessarose.

"Come on, let's make our...introductions," Pfannee decided. The four girls walked up to Elphaba, with Pfannee in front, Shenshen reluctantly following, Galinda gripping her hand in comfort, and Milla miserably trailing in the rear.

"Hey, green girl, you dropped something!" Pfannee said snidely, smacking the girl's face and causing her glasses to go flying to the floor. Shenshen and Milla took a step back, watching sadly as Pfannee called Elphaba every green name she could think of, plus a few naughty, derogative words that even caused Shenshen to gasp and flush in shock.

"Enough," Galinda said sternly as Elphaba started to growl and turn a darker shade of green, picking her glasses up off the floor. "I'll talk with you girls later, you're being far too cruel." She took her luggage and swept out of the room as smoothly as she could manage with the weight being dragged behind her.

By the time Galinda was just finishing up putting away her things, the green girl had arrived, unpacking her few belongings and immediately pulling out a book to read. She didn't seem to be aware of the well-dressed blonde, all huddled up on her side of the room, practically drowning in a black dress that was far too loose in the wrong places. Not that it would help. Her green figure was too bony to be considered healthy, and she had a slight pinched look about her that suggested it gave her the barest of discomforts. Then again, her uncomfortable expression was probably more due to the position she was curled into rather than her unnaturally thin state.

"It can't be good for you to sit like that," Galinda stated, speaking to the mysterious girl for the first time. She merely shrugged in reply, too absorbed in her book for conversation. Galinda sighed and flopped onto her bed. Was it really only this morning that she was in her Gillikin home being grabbed by her father as she walked out the door? The memory caused a slight shiver to run down her spine, but she ignored it. And still her multiple...accidental injuries ached. Yet, she was almost grateful for that. They were a reminder of what she survived. _No, _that snide voice disagreed. _They are a punishment, for being a bad girl. Popsical, your dear Popsie, says you're a bad girl. You're never a good girl for him, are you? Except when he-_

She quickly shook her head, ridding herself of the memories before they could become fully formed. Nobody could know about that. She'd be labelled a freak like Elphaba, and she didn't want that. The silence between the two college students lengthened for almost a full fifteen minutes. Though their beds were about six feet apart, they might as well have been sitting in different worlds. Though Galinda couldn't see much wrong with the green girl, she still didn't want anything to do with her. She had her own problems to handle, anyway.

There was a rapid knock at the door. Galinda got up to answer it, and saw Milla standing in the hallway with Shenshen. She gave them a questioning look as they came in uninvited, wearing expressions of guilt and apology. What did they have to be sorry for, anyway? she wondered to herself.

"Miss...Elphaba, is it?" Shenshen spoke up shyly. The girl in question looked up from her book and glared.

"Are you here to tease me again?" she demanded in a ringing, commanding voice. So harsh, and bitter, Galinda thought as she observed the scene.

"That was all Pfannee and you know it," Milla said quietly. "We came to apologize for not backing you up, but she's ruthless even to us. We need to keep our social status, though, so don't mind it too much if we don't speak up."

"Are you trying to make friends with me?" Elphaba arched an eyebrow. "I thought I would never see the day when two air headed bimbos like you decided to accociate with the likes of me."

"We don't know you well enough to be friends yet," Shenshen pointed out. "Given time, it's possible we could be aquaitances at the very least. However, as long as Pfannee has our social statuses hanging over our heads, it's unlikely we can get much closer. As for Galinda...she being your roommate, that might be a different situation. Why, were you looking for friends?" The question was so innocent, yet Galinda could hear the double meaning ringing behind it.

"I'm green," she replied flatly. "I doubt I'm a likely go-to person for friendship. I've learned that in various ways." She suddenly fell silent, as if she had said too much, or something of the sort.

"Well...alright," Shenshen said reluctantly. "Let's go, Milla." The two girls left the dorm room, giving one last apologetic glance at Elphaba as Galinda shut the door behind them. She turned and faced Elphaba, just as the raven haired woman was returning to her book once again.

"Why are you staring at me?" Elphaba said without looking up.

"I wanted to ask you something..." The blonde's voice trailed off uncertainly.

"Ask away," she said carelessly. Yet there was that guarded hint of suspicion. She was afraid of the question.

"Why are you green?" Galinda blurted. Elphaba straightened up in shock. It was clear she had never been asked that question.

"I...well, I don't know," she admitted. "I've always been like this. My father said it's how I was born. No one's ever asked me that before."

"I could tell."

"Now I have a question for you. Why do you have a bruise on your wrist?"

"I bumped into something," she lied smoothly, ever the cover-up of uncomfortable or awkward feelings. "Sometimes I can be just as clumsy as Milla, it's so silly!" She let out her best fake laugh, flawlessly managing to look casual and relaxed. It was just a harmless little secret. Plus, Popsical never meant to hurt her. Just like Momsie said. Elphaba seemed to buy her story, so she was safe. For now.

"When do you think we will get our schedules for classes?" Galinda wondered. It was only two days before the fall semester began.

"Morrible stated in the letter we all recieved in our acceptance letters that we'd recieve our schedule a full day before classes began," Elphaba quoted in a bored tone. "Until then, we are left to our own devices."

"So, tomorrow, then," she concluded.

"Yes," the girl snapped in reply. "Must I spell everything out to your blonde brain?" Well, Galinda wasn't the brightest girl around, but she never thought of herself as stupid. The comment hurt a lot more than she was willing to reveal.

"Well, you just did magic out there!" Galinda pointed out. "And...and that's weird," she continued when Elphaba looked surprised. "You're a freak!" It was much better than admitting she was jealous of someone she barely knew.

"Of course I am," she replied calmly, as if they were discussing the weather. "I believe it is lunch time." She swept out of the room, leaving her book behind and not bothering to look back. Galinda slowly followed her out to the cafeteria, trying to remember everything from the map she had been given. The cafeteria was very large, able to accomodate a large amount of students. It was here, in this dining hall, that girls and boys could mingle. She got into the salad line and grabbed an apple, a wrap of some sort, and a bottle of water, then sat at the first table she could find.

As of right now, she was in no mood to talk to anyone. Elphaba had insulted her quite badly and it would take her some time to recover. It was clear they'd never be friends now. Somehow, that hurt a lot more than knowing she'd never get close to girls like Pfannee. Then again, Pfannee was nothing but a catty, empty headed upper-class girl. She picked at the wrap, but was only able to eat half of it. She continually sipped at the water, looking around.

"Hello there," someone said as they sat down. She took in the boy sitting across from her. Scruffy hair, second hand clothes, and unusually short for his age, yet somehow tall. He was a Munchkinlander. "My name is Boq, what's yours?" He smiled at her.

"Galinda," she replied.

"What a wonderful name for a wonderful girl," he said with a glowing smile. Whether he had a crush on her, or if he was merely flattering her, she felt uncertain, but the compliment made her blush anyway.

"You are too kind, Boq," she said, bending her head to hide the flush in her cheeks.

"How about we meet up at _Emerald Rose _sometime for coffee, or dessert perhaps?" His expression softened. "You look like you could use something to cheer you up, Galinda." He sounded very genuine at that last statement, which got her attention. Was Boq asking her on a date? She was very uncertain about actual dating...but he'd make a nice friend, that's for sure.

"I'll think about it," she promised at last.

"Good." The smile was back, and she noticed he had a cute dimple when he was smiling, causing some freckles to stand out, and others to almost vanish. "I'll see you around, Galinda." One last smile that caused her to blush again, and then he was gone. As she bit into her apple and grabbed her water bottle, lunch ended. Students began filing out of the cafeteria in droves. She returned to her room, key in hand. She discovered that the door was already unlocked, however. She thought nothing of it as she went to the vanity and checked her hair and make-up to see if everything was in perfect alignment.

"Of course, you're no different than everyone else," Elphaba droned. Galinda jumped and turned to see the black clothed girl step out of the shadowy side of the room, the opposite side. She immediately composed herself. "Nothing to be ashamed of," the jade skinned girl added as Galinda frowned. "You're one of the lucky ones." _Just be lucky you're not being treated worse, you bad little girl._

"Did I say something wrong?" Elphaba asked when Galinda didn't speak for a long time. She shook her head and looked back at the mirror. Her once bright crystal eyes were now dull and glazed over. Maybe she should accept Boq's offer, to get her mind off of things. That sounded like a good idea. Next time she saw him, she would tell him they'd go, but only as friends. It was way too soon for her to be dating, anyway. Ironically, her parents were eager for her to get married and insisted that she find herself a husband soon. It was the only thing they ever really said to her. They didn't ever want to _really_ have a conversation, or pay attention, or give her what she needed. It was as if she was just a background figure in their lives, there merely when it's convienent for her to be.

The silence was loud, heavy, and uncomfortable. Elphaba returned to her book as Galinda sat at the vanity, consumed in her reflection, the only thing which ever appeared to be right. She ran a brush through her hair, endlessly gently combing the curls as if that would make her feel better. Frustrated with her racing thoughts and poorly repressed memories, the brush was soon flying out of her hand and crashed into the wall. Elphaba glanced up, but didn't say anything.

According to her green watch, it was just after one in the afternoon. Just four hours ago, she had been at home, unaware of Shiz University's opportunities; an entire world of various people, green or otherwise. It felt like an eternity ago. However, that didn't make her want to be at home anymore than before. Maybe this school was her chance to finally be on her own. That hope was quickly squashed when she realized, however far she travelled from Gillikin, she'd never escape the memories.

No escape, no happiness, and certainly no freedom. She'd forever be falling downward on this endless spiral of misery if something didn't change. If only her parents could love her, if only a little. She knew they did, somewhere deep down. No one could be doing this to her out of hate. It was just unthinkable. If they hated her...as in truly wanted her to die, she'd want to die herself, because no matter what they did, she couldn't find it in herself to hate her parents, so dear in her heart.

"Honestly," Elphaba sighed in frustration, "not that much could possibly be going through that empty head of yours." Another sting. Would this green freak ever stop being so harsh to her?

"Do you really have to be so cruel?" Galinda said sharply. She left the room in a whirlwind of white, green, and flying blonde ringlets. She walked and walked, not paying any attention to where she was going. As a result, she ran into a Goat dressed up like a professor. Being a lightweight, weak sort of girl, the impact was far too much for her thin frame. She tumbled to the ground, gasping in shock at the unexpected contact with hard tile.

"Oh, you poor girl!" the Goat bleated. He held out a hoof. She grabbed onto it and he did the best he could to help her up. He gave her a long look of wonder.

"Are you miss Glinda Upland?" he inquired politely.

"It's Galinda," she corrected. "And yes, I am. How do you know me?"

"I went to school with your parents," he explained, rolling the 'r' for whatever ridiculous reason. "I'm Doctor Dillamond, and I teach history, biology, and mathematics here at Shiz University. This is my third year teaching."

"How interesting," Galinda said, though all she wanted to do was to get away from the Goat. He had an odd smell and couldn't even speak properly. She definitely didn't want to accociate with him more than what was absolutely necessary.

"I hope to be seeing you in one of my classes," he said cheerfully. "It was lovely to meet you, Miss Glinda."

"Galinda," she muttered as the Goat walked off. "My name is Galinda."

"I think I already know that," Boq's voice said somewhere behind her. She turned and faced him. "So, I take it you thought about my offer?" He sounded hopeful...too hopeful to merely be looking for friendship. She internally cringed at the thought of simply dating him right away without even getting to know him first.

"I'd like to go as friends," she said finally. "I just...don't know about dating," she admitted with a hint of shame. "At least, not right away, when I don't know you," she ammended when his face fell into a look of severe disappointment.

"Of course, anything for you, Galinda," Boq replied in an agreeable tone, looking much more cheerful now. "When do you want to meet up?" She checked her watch for the second time that day. It was currently one twenty-four in the afternoon.

"How about at around two?" she suggested. "That will give me plenty of time to get ready. I need to find something proper to wear."

"Oh, but you look perfect just the way you are," Boq complimented seriously, causing her to blush for a third time. He always knew the right thing to say. "I'll wait for you, though. I will pick you up from your room promptly at two o'clock this afternoon." He gave her a charming smile before heading off on his way.

When Galinda returned to the room, she didn't even glance at Elphaba as she searched through her unpacked clothing for something to wear. White was far too formal a color for this casual occasion, yet she didn't know Boq well, so she couldn't dress too casual. She settled for a pale blue dress with a white sash tied around it's middle, off white low heels, and lightly curled hair to give her ringlets just a little more bounce. As she was reapplying her lip gloss, there was a light knock at the door.

"Ready to go?" Boq asked. She set down the lip gloss and smiled at the Munchkin.

"As ready as I'll ever be," she replied happily. They left together, walking close enough that they could have a private conversation, but not so close that they could be mistaken for a couple. They entered the restaurant and took their seats without incident. Galinda allowed silence to pass between them, almost without meaning to. The only time she spoke for a time after that was when they ordered their drinks. Boq ordered tea, and Galinda ordered some water.

"So, your parents are big names in Oz, but they apparently rarely let you out of your site," Boq started as soon as their waiter left the table. "Why is that, do you think?" Galinda was suddenly painfully aware of her slowly healing injuries at that moment.

"I'm an only child," she replied easily. "They're just...protective of me." That sounded like a convincing enough answer, she thought.

"I find it odd, is all," he said, and the matter was dropped. Galinda sipped quietly at her drink while Boq added some cream and sugar to his tea. Two spoonfuls of cream, two spoonfuls of sugar. It was all very precise and planned. The silence was not only uncomfortable, but awkward. She needed to save the conversation before Boq changed his mind and decided she wasn't worth it. Despite her reluctance, she wanted the Munchkin to like her.

"You're unusually tall, for a Munchkin," she pointed out, deciding it would be much better if she directed the conversation at him, rather than her worthless self. The only thing she was good for was looks, and they weren't even completely natural.

"My dad's side of the family is naturally tall, so I consider my height to be very natural," Boq replied defensively. Ouch. I guess that came out wrong, she reasoned silently.

"Sorry," she apologized quickly.

"It's alright, I happen to get that a lot," he told her gently, his features softening. "This really isn't about me. Tell me more about you, Galinda. I find you fascinating. What goes on in that head of yours?" Momsie and Popsical always found her a nusciance, or boring, whichever word suited their mood. She'd never been..._interesting_ to anyone before. It gave her a strange feeling. Should she even believe the words he was saying?

"There's not much to tell," she said carefully. That much was the truth, but he clearly wanted to know more. "I was raised by two loving parents in Gillikin, and basically sheltered my whole life. I'm not sure what's interesting about that. I had to get by on my own, and make friends with the servants, since my parents were always busy."

"They never paid attention to you?" he asked in disbelief.

"Of course they did," Galinda responded, not sure how true that statement was. "They love me, after all. Why wouldn't they want me around?" When was that lie going to become true?

"Alright," Boq said uncertainly. "I believe you, I guess. Aren't you going to finish your water?"

Later, after finishing their drinks, they bid farewell, promising to always sit together at lunch and talk. Galinda returned to her room once again, finding it odd that Elphaba was gone, but not really caring. It wasn't like they were friends or anything. She huffed a sigh and laid on her bed. _Of course Elphaba doesn't want to be your friend, you're a worthless, bad little girl. You're only a good girl for Popsie when he has those special times you're not supposed to tell Momsie about. You remember them, all of them, don't you?_ Galinda shuddered and curled up into a little ball. It wouldn't go away. She just wanted to forget. The mere thought that he still had that control made her feel almost physically ill.

_"Sh, it's okay," Popsical said quietly as five year old Galinda cried in his arms. That nightmare had been really scary. "I know a way to calm you down. Get undressed and into the tub, okay? You're a good little girl tonight, so you deserve something special." Galinda obeyed, smiling as she got into the warm water. Popsie said she was a good girl tonight. It made her feel special and important._

_But then Popsie got into the tub with her. He hadn't done that before. Was this the special thing? The little girl frowned, wondering what he meant by this. Her father's warm body pressed up against hers. It felt strange, wrong somehow. But she was too afraid to say anything. She didn't want to hurt Popsie's feelings during their special bonding time, as he had called it._

_"It's alright," he said gently as he shampooed her hair and washed her body. "See, you're a good girl, Galinda. My little princess." She squrimed uncomfortably as his hand rested for far too long on her lower back. Something wasn't right here. Finally, it was over. It wasn't long before she was in her pajamas and in bed. Popsie went into his own room as if nothing had happened. Momsie came to tuck her in again._

_"What's wrong, little missy?" She asked when Galinda flinched from her touch. The girl didn't answer. It was the last time her mother paid any sort of maternal attention to her. It was all her fault. And Popsie had promised it would happen again, and again. She didn't want to take a bath ever again._

_From that day on, Galinda flatly refused to get into the tub whenever her mother asked her to. She never explained why. She only got showers. However, at her Popsie's request, she did for him. He always got in with her, and washed her up. She always asked to do it herself, but he insisted he needed to do it like this, or else their special bonding time would be ruined. From then on, things were never the same in the Upland family._

Tears streamed down her cheeks. She curled into an even smaller ball, holding back sobs of anguish. Was that really where it all began? It was one of the first things she could, remember, though. Though, when it began hardly mattered, it still...hurt and followed her wherever she went. As she thought, she slowly began to get more and more tired until she fell asleep, having forgotten to alert her roommate that whenever she had nightmares, she tended to sleepwalk, among other...things. Maybe tomorrow will be better, she thought miserably as everything faded into darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: The timing may seem a little confusing at first, but this picks up from when Galinda went on her little date with Boq. We shall see what miss Elphaba was up to.**

**By the way, thank you for all the reivews! I tried to reply to all of them as soon as I could, and if I didn't reply, doesn't mean I don't appreciate it. I really, truly do. I'm working my hardest ever on this fanfiction, and any feedback I get means the world to me. Six reviews so far is pretty impressive!**

**Disclaimer: I'm not awesome enough to write a book like that, sorry. I'm not awesome enough to compose such...interesting lyrics. I'm not awesome enough to write for Broadway. Enough said.**

Elphaba Thropp wasn't one to be easily deterred by a mere useless comment from the idiotic headmistress. So, as soon as Galinda, or whatever that ridiculous blonde's name was, happened to leave the dorm room, she was off for Madame Morrible's office. Unfortunately for her, she had no idea how to get there. She wandered the ancient halls of Shiz, feeling completely lost. The only solution she could see was taking the girl's master dorm. She probably deserved it, since she was here on scholarship. That Galinda girl did nothing to help her when that wicked girl teased her so mercilessly. She just stood there and watched.

That girl was certainly a mystery, depsite her short comings, she mused as she continued aimlessly walking around. She was certain the blonde was hiding something. And judging by the pained look in those blue eyes that was poorly hidden whenever certain questions were asked...it wasn't anything good. She thought some more, remembering that bruise she had questioned not long ago and the response which followed. While Galinda didn't seem like the smartest girl around, she wasn't stupid-but Elphaba had called her exactly that, on more than one occasion, for no reason. It wasn't like her to outright insult someone. Sure she was bitter, harsh, sarcastic, and brutally honest, but she didn't call names normally. It wasn't like her.

What should she address first, though? The fact that she had more than likely hurt Galinda's feelings, or her mysterious secret? She had a strong feeling that Galinda would fabricate more lies if she started asking questions. An apology was in order, then. Maybe if she was forgiven, she could get to the root of the girl's problem. Perhaps a friendship of sorts would work out between them. Despite Galinda not defending her today, she wasn't all that bad of a person. In fact, she was one of few to not be bothered by her skin.

She stopped where she stood, conteplating on a proper apology for Galinda. What could she say that would allow her to be forgiven? Having someone relieve her of any sort of guilt was a rare thing in her life. _Galinda, I'm sorry you're not stupid after all? _That didn't sound genuine. Unconsciously, she started walking again. It helped her think, and prevented that antsy feeling that happened whenever she was stressed. _Galinda, I'm sorry for hurting your feelings. I'd like for us to start over and try to be friends. Could you ever forgive me?_ That sounded much better. It was only a matter of saying the words kindly and the girl accepting the apology which was the hard part. She clearly remembered Morrible meeting eyes with her ever so briefly during her speech, which got her to thinking, perhaps she knew something. They didn't know one another. Perhaps Madame Morrible had some sort of second sight and knew she was meant to be friends with Galinda, or something like that. She stopped for a second time, out by the canal, when she caught sight of her sister Nessarose.

"Nessa," she greeted, approaching the girl, who was sitting in her chair as always. "Are you adjusting to your room alright?"

"It's nice," Nessa answered hesitantly. "I wish we had gotten to room together, though. How is your roommate?"

"Not as much of a bother as I thought she'd be. I hope I didn't hurt you earlier with my...you know." Elphaba felt her face flush in shame at having lost control the way she had earlier that day.

"I just was scared of falling out of my chair," her sister admitted. "Without this, I can't move around the way I'd like. My legs are almost completely useless." There was a beat of silence as Elphaba processed the implication of that statement.

"What do you mean, almost?" she asked suspiciously. Her mind was racing with possibilities that she was almost afraid to look into at the moment. For a split second, she envisioned Nessa walking, wearing the shoes Frex had given her just before leaving the campus.

"Whenever I am laying in bed, next to my chair, and I am left to entertain myself, sometimes I try to move my toes, even a little bit. Most of the time, nothing happens at all. But that doesn't stop me from trying. Occasionally, there is a great pain in my legs. The closest I've gotten was the tinest movement in my smallest toe on my left leg." Elphaba was quiet for the longest time. If Nessa could feel pain, that meant the nerves in her legs hadn't been completely damaged. And if they weren't completely damaged, they could send signals. Which meant...if given time and effort, her sister could actually walk for the first time in her life. She wasn't sure what was preventing her from movement, but maybe a teacher here at Shiz could help her figure out. Or the right book at a library could give her some clues. Nessa waited patiently for Elphaba to say something.

"If I could...do some research, we could find out a way to get you walking," she said carefully. "It doesn't seem like an easy task, but if I spend enough time on this-don't get your hopes up you know how I fail at everything-there is a small possibility that you could walk after all. Tell me something, what did Father tell you about the day you were born?" _Even though it's all my fault, I need to know everything that happened._ She shook off the guilty thoughts. Beating herself up over that wasn't going to help her sister.

"Really?" Nessa asked, her voice shaking with reluctant hope. "You could get me to walk?" She gave her sister a long look, brown eyes meeting brown.

"I can try," she promised. There was a brief, comfortable silence between the sisters before Nessa spoke up again.

"I noticed that Munchkin boy at lunch. Didn't we used to play with him as children? What was his name, Elphaba...Biq, Boq?"

"Boq," she agreed. "Yes, we did, whenever Father allowed us." _Whenever Father allowed me, _she amended silently, but she was sure Nessa understood what she meant anyway. Her brunette haired sister nodded, her eyes showing that she could detect the underlying meaning.

"It's interesting to know Boq decided to attend Shiz also. I never heard him mention what school he wanted to go to." Now that, she found interesting. Boq was open enough about his life, to the best of her understanding. Maybe he intended to surprise them. Whatever the case, it was nice to know she at least had one friend on campus to talk to.

"I'm getting tired," Nessa said suddenly. "I'll see you later, Elphaba. I hope you are successful with the research. It means a lot to me that you'd try to get me walking, something Father never bothered attempting." She gave her older sister an encouraging smile.

"Do you want me to wheel you back to your room?" Elphaba offered kindly.

"No thank you. I'm going to start learning independence. Milla said that it was important to be more independent when you started going to college, especially since I was accepted so young and everything, due to my condition."

"Are you sure that you don't need help?" she offered one last time hopefully, wanting to talk to her sister for a little longer before returning to the dorm room to deal with Galinda.

"I'll be fine." Nessa smiled softly and wheeled herself away. Elphaba watched her until she was gone. She let out a long sigh, then started to head back to her own room. On her way, she could see Boq headed for Crage Hall. He appeared to be a little dressed up. Did he go on a date with someone, she wondered to herself as she watched him get further and further away. At the same time, she spotted Galinda headed for their dorm room, dressed in a different outfit than the one she had arrived in today. Well, now that was curious.

She waited for a little bit to see if Galinda would notice her approach, but the girl appeared to be too self absorbed. Elphaba sighed and let her pass before going into the dormitory hall. Just as she came inside, she was stopped by that carp-like woman. With difficulty, she swallowed her irritation at the annoying headmistress and looked into her face. Strange, she appeared to make her blink, and her bubbly type dress gave her more fish-like attributes.

"Miss Elphaba," Madame Morrible trilled, causing the green girl to wince at the high pitched greeting. The woman smelled strongly of red wine, tea, and suspicious behavior. Elphaba was skeptical at once. Who was this stranger, and what were her motives, she thought.

"Yes?" she said tersely. "What do you want?"

"After that display of magic, like I said earlier, that sorcery seminar...?" She let her voice trail off.

"Of course," Elphaba said, nodding. "When should I start?"

"Let's see, Miss Greyling is our sorcery teacher around here. I'll talk with her tonight before your schedule is sent out to see what can be done. I am pleased to have met you...I haven't seen someone with power like yours in years." Looking beyond the shallow compliments, it was understood this woman wanted something from her. There was an alterior motive that had yet to be revealed.

"Alright. I look forward to it," was all she said. Two can play at that game, she thought in spite. Except, she had no idea what sort of game it was Morrible wanted to play here, so she didn't know the rules at all. She didn't know the eventual goal. She had to tread carefully, and think ahead. This woman couldn't be trusted. She could sense evil in the carp lady.

"I shall be seeing you, then." With that, the headmistress tipsily stumbled down the hall, clearly headed for her office but not getting anywhere much in her heavily drunken state. Elphaba rolled her eyes at the ridiculousness of it all. Elphaba took her time going back to her room, afraid that Galinda would be angry at her. She'd gotten enough anger from her father today when she'd nearly forgotten to feed Nessa breakfast that morning. But that was only because she was occupied with chores and making sure her sister's suitcase was packed before her own. However, it was still her fault, and he made no hesitation in saying so repeatedly the whole way to Shiz University that morning. Of course, there was no use in saying anything. Talking back only made Father angrier. Sometimes she wondered if he had ever loved her before Nessarose came along. Yet, she couldn't really bring herself to hate dear Nessa. The poor girl hadn't done anything wrong. She actually was the perfect one, always being showered in Father's attention as if she was the first born, the next Wizard's Grand Vizier even. Why does she get to be loved and not me, she couldn't help but wonder. If only she hadn't been born green. But she was. And always will be. Green. Jade. Grass. Emerald. Jealousy. Artichoke. She had no choice to deal with it, since she couldn't change it...but why couldn't everyone else just deal with it as well? It would save her a whole lot of trouble.

At long last, she arrived in the dorm room she was forced to share with Galinda. The girl's bed was empty, and the hair brush laid on the floor. She found it strange that she had lost her temper like that so suddenly, but decided not to question it. Everyone had the right to blow up now and then. Elphaba just happened to do it far more often than was conidered normal. Where was that girl anyway? Hadn't she been headed here? She looked around, taking in her surroundings properly for the first time. The side closest to the door was surrounded in white, blue, and green, the colors of Shiz plus her skin. She was starting to grow concerned. How long had Morrible kept her? Surely Galinda would be in her by now. Then she noticed this dorm room had a bathroom connected to it. Did all the rooms have a bathroom like that, she thought questioningly. She was quick to note it was slightly ajar before finally moving toward it.

"Galinda?" Elphaba called, pushing the door open. She caught sight of a familiar head of blonde curls, and sighed in relief. Something didn't seem right, though. She took a moment to assess the situation. Galinda was huddled up on the bathroom floor, rocking back and forth as she whimpered. Her hair was a complete disaster, all in tangles. Worst of all to look at, though, was her eyes. They looked haunted and fearful of something. Tears occasionally traced silently down her face, dripping onto her clothes, closely wrapped arms, or the tiled floor.

"Galinda?" she inquired gently. The girl didn't seem to hear her, locked in some nightmare as the whimpering turned into louder cries. Elphaba came closer, but the disturbed girl was unchanged, her distress growing worse by the minute. Finally, she bent down and gently touched her on the arm. The effect was instentaneous. Galinda shrieked and flinched back from the contact as if she had been burned. She drew back her green hand in shock. As of right now, she had no idea what to do. _But I have to do something. I can't just leave her like this._ Letting out a shaky breath, she considered her options as Galinda's cries slowly grew louder. She certainly couldn't go to anyone about this, who knows how would they react? Morrible in particular. She grimaced at her recent encounter with her, wondering why that idiot had been drinking like that before coming to see her.

"No, no no!" the tiny blonde cried out, kicking her legs and nearly getting Elphaba in the ankle.

"Calm down please," she pleaded the girl, but she didn't heed her command. She spoke softer and slowly this time. "Come on, you're safe, I'm not going to hurt you." It was finally working. The cries were growing lesser in volume. "Please listen to me, Galinda." She continued repeating similiar phrases for a long while, being careful not to touch her again. It was another long stretch of time after Galinda was silent and still before she at last came back to reality and became aware of Elphaba.

"Are you alright?" It was a stupid question, the worst understatement that could have ever been stated in this moment. But she had no idea what else to say after what she had just witnessed.

"D-Don't touch me," she stammered, her voice filled with panic.

"Shh, calm down," Elphaba whispered. "You're safe, I promise." There was a long silence as the last remaints of panic finally left Galinda. Her eyes still had that glazed over look, but most of the terror had left them. She looked much younger sitting that way and staring into nothingness. She remembered that same look whenever her mother sleptwalked. The memories were hazy, because she was so young, but she did recall her being out of bed and walking around. Galinda must have fallen asleep and had a nightmare, then started sleepwalking. It seemed like a reasonable enough conclusion. Elphaba helped Galinda back over to her bed and she immediately laid down again. Soon after, she was fast asleep as if nothing had happened.

Elphaba backed away from the girl, letting out a long sigh. She hoped that would never happen again anytime soon. That...experience was so draining, she felt as if she could go to sleep herself, right now. It wasn't even five yet, much too early to consider going to bed, though. Instead, she curled up on her bed and simply thought. From what she witnessed, the nightmare had deeply distressed Galinda to an extent she had never seen before. Whatever was terrifying her would have to wait, though, seeing as she couldn't simply ask right now. She managed to finish up her book by the time the sun was setting outside the only window in the dorm room. By that time, Galinda was stirring slightly.

"I'm a...good girl..." she mumbled. Whatever that meant. Elphaba put her book away and started getting ready for bed. "No! Not a good girl! Not a good girl!" Galinda shrieked in her sleep. She made a movement like she was fighting to get out of bed, then quickly relaxed. This was making less and less sense, she thought as she slipped into her black nightgown. "Stop!" the blonde girl screamed, "I don't wanna be a bad girl! Stop, Popsie, no, no, no, no-" Her words were choked off my shuddering sobs of pain. "Why?" she moaned at last, before falling silent.

Galinda's behavior was getting stranger, bordering on concerning to Elphaba, but she had no idea how to handle it, except to wake her up. She shook the suffering girl gently, who merely screamed and rolled out of bed, falling to the floor. The unexpected impact caused her to wake up, gasping like she had just run a long distance. Sweat beaded on her forehead and her blue eyes were wide with shock, fear, and confusion. Elphaba quietly waited until she was calmer before speaking, not wanting to frighten her further.

"Was...was I sleepwalking?" she asked shakily. Her voice was hoarse from screaming. "I don't remember anything after falling asleep." That didn't sound like a complete truth.

"You had a nightmare. A really bad one, it looks like. Do you want to talk about it?" The last thing Elphaba wanted to do was discuss anything involving emotions, but she definitely didn't want to see Galinda in that hysterical state again. She hadn't seen anything so frightening since her father gave her a sound lashing for the first and last time in her life to teach her a lesson.

"No," the girl said in a muffled voice. She weakly sat up and ran a hand through her tangled hair. "I'm going to take a shower." She took a dark blue nightgown and some undergarments before going into the bathroom and closing the door behind her. Elphaba briefly wondered why she didn't take a bath, as that usually helped her with any remaining stresses, before reminding herself that it didn't matter, really.

It wan't late yet, only just after seven. Elphaba hadn't eaten anything since lunch. However, she didn't feel the least bit hungry. Food was the last thing on her mind at the moment. What with having to deal with Frex this morning, arriving at Shiz, her bout of magic, getting to know Galinda(yet not really), and her relevation with Nessa, it had certainly been quite the day. She laid on her bed, sinking into the soft mattress and silky sheets with ease. She could hear the shower running, but mostly dismissed the sound and just ignored it.

This bed was more comfortable than what she was used to. She winced, remembering that hard, worn mattress that was her bed in the attic. Day after day of chores and tending to Nessa's every need. Yet, none of the work was appreciated. The only recognition she got was the rare 'thank you' from precious Nessa. She absorbed it all like a sponge, though, knowing any praise was rare. She'd always be simply 'the other daughter' in the family. That was how Frex usually introduced her at dinner parties and when she was dragged to boring important government meetings. And it was all her fault, as Frex made sure to remind her every day, any chance he got.

At that moment, the shower sounds stopped. Elphaba started to feel herself beginning to drift off. Her breathing gradually slowed, and her eyes slid shut. The bed was so comfortable that she didn't even need a blanket despite the coolness of the room. Everything was fading away. She could feel the bed and hear the silence ringing around her, but it sounded muffled. She breathed, and the waking world became slightly further away. Another breath, and it was gone completely. Of course, at that moment, a vision came into her head.

_"Make...make it stop!" Galinda cried out. Her breath hitched in her throat. Elphaba could do nothing but watch in horror as Galinda became more and more panicked. Things were quickly escalating out of control._

_"Calm down," she tried, but simple words would't help here as Galinda's gasps became shorter, quicker, and more desperate._

_"I...feel...sick," she panted. She looked pale and sweaty._

_"Take slow breaths," she tried again._

_"I...can't," she said through panicked gulps of air. Galinda spun around and was violently sick into the toilet. She coughed several times, shuddering, spluttering, and gasping. Her chest was heaving and her pale color frightened Elphaba to no end. However, she didn't show it, knowing that having a breakdown herself would only panic Galinda even more._

_"I'm...going...to..." The short, thin girl slumped over._

_"Galinda? Galinda! Wake up! Someone, help!"_

Elphaba's eyes flew open, just as Galinda emerged from the bathroom. She quickly sat up and carefully examined her roommate. She looked distressed, but less dishevieled. Her hair was newly blown dry, but the curls had loosened, suggesting that their extra volume wasn't natural. Although she didn't look unhealthy, she was unnaturally thin, like herself. She spotted the bruise that she was sure Galinda had lied about earlier, and wondered if she truly was clumsy as she had claimed, or if there was something more to it. Something told her it was more than likely to be the latter.

"Hey," Galinda said softly. "I want us to start over, okay? Let's forget today ever happened." Elphaba agreed on more than one part there.

"I'm sorry to have called you stupid," she apologized. Why did that sound so inadequete? She sounded awkward. "I don't really do name calling. Please, can you forgive me?" Her tone had switched from guilty and uncertain to simply begging and desperate, which was probably a whole lot worse.

"Of course. I forgive you." That caused a huge weight to leave her odd skinned shoulders. Forgiveness at last. She could move on with her life. There was that remaining worry about Galinda's nightmare and apparent sleepwalking habit. Why was she so anxious for someone she barely knew, though? _Because, she looks so fragile. Anymore terror and pain, and the girl would surely fall apart._ Of course, it wasn't her fault, there was no way it could be. Galinda climbed onto her bed as if she was going to sleep, but she just laid on her back and stared at the ceiilng. It wasn't long before Elphaba found herself falling asleep again. She settled against the mattress and sheets, becoming more comfortable as darkness completely consumed her.

Dark. It was black as her own midnight hair when she pried her eyes open. Why had she woken up? Noise. It was a noise that pulled her out of sleep. Of course. She was a light sleeper. She blearily blinked several times, shaking off the fog of half-remembered dreams. There was the noise again. A light tap at the door. She stumbled out of bed and shook off the pins and needles feeling in her legs before opening the door to see Nessarose in the hallway, a large and ancient looking volume in her lap. She stared at her sister for a moment in confusion.

"I found a spell book in the library," Nessa whispered. "I thought you would want to take a look in this old thing. It might be helpful for more than just helping me to walk again." Elphaba took a look at the scripted title. _The Grimmerie_. There was something ominous about that book. Yet, she desperately wanted to take a look in it.

"You found that...in the library?" she said skeptically. That book looked like it held a lot of power.

"Sort of," Nessa said. She paused, glancing down at the dark cover. "Madame Morrible found it for me and said it would be helpful."

"Get rid of it. At once," Elphaba demanded. Nessa's head snapped up. She blinked in shock, obviously not expecting a response like that.

"But...why? I thought you agreed to-"

"I did. But Morrible can't be trusted, no matter the cost."

"What about me? I'm your sister!"

"Believe me...if that book is Morrible's idea of helpful, if I read a spell out of there...who knows what will happen! Maybe there are spells in there that will make living in that chair paradise in comparasion." At this, Nessa gulped in fear. "How should I know, anyway? I just have a feeling. Nobody listens to my 'feelings' no matter what I say."

"Are you really just going to have me get rid of this book?" Nessa asked in disbelief.

"Of course!" Elphaba snapped. "That's what I'm saying."

"I couldn't do that."

"And _why_ not?"

"Because it wants you." That gave Elphaba pause.

"What?" she said, puzzled by the statement.

"You heard me," she said simply. "The book wants you. I can feel it trying to leave my lap and get to you." Sure enough, The Grimmerie twitched ever so slightly, as if it was trying to jump out of Nessa's lap. Elphaba grabbed the misbehaving spell book, and felt a sudden warmth in her hands. The book was home again. Wait, did she actually think that? Apparently, the book belonged with her.

"You must really have a lot of magical power if a book like this wants to be in your possession," Nessa said in awe. She nodded in agreement, looking down to see the book was bound tightly shut by a leather strap and a buckle.

"I'm sorry for bothering you this late," her sister continued, her voice taking on an apologetic tone.

"It's alright," she said quickly, not wanting the invalid to think that her unexpected arrival was anything of a bother. "I will look in this as soon as I can, Nessa, I promise." That brought a smile, however tired it seemed, to her sister's face.

"Good," she murmured. "I will bid you goodnight, then Elphaba. It really is quite late, and I had forgotten to say my nightly prayers anyway. I'll be seeing you." With one last smile, her sister wheeled out of sight. Elphaba set the book down on the nightstand by her bed and was glad to see it no longer moved around desperately. It was as if it seemed to know its owner was nearby.

"I'll deal with _you_ in the morning," Elphaba said. Though whether she was addressing the girl fast asleep in the bed next to hers, or the powerful magical volume that had chosen to belong with her, she couldn't say. Minutes later, she was crawling under the covers and slipping back into heavy, relaxing, yet oppressive unconsciousness.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Ten reviews! So incredible. I'm already getting suggestions too. We'll see about a third point of view, but the character I've got in mind has yet to arrive, hmm? ;)**

**Sorry if Elphaba gets a little OOC in this chapter, I'm trying to have her react as realisticlly as possible.**

**Disclaimer: Um, not Schwartz, not Maguire...moving on!**

Galinda awoke very slowly. Not that she was in any hurry to get out of bed in any case. She gradually became more and more aware of her surroundings. Touch became known first, then sound and smell. Sheets of Oz's finest silk was slippery under her touch even without her moving. She could tell in that moment she was sleeping on her back, which was what she did whenever she slept well, without nightmares or troubles. The blanket loosely covering her body was soft. Cotton instead of wool. Not that she'd ever be caught sleeping with a wool blanket. The horror of dropping into middle class status. There was a leftover edge of dampness from yesterday's nightmares. The thought of them made her internally twinge, but she let the feeling pass, not wanting to think about that just yet. The room was oddly quiet, yet the silence wasn't uncomfotable. She heard the sound of pages being turned, somewhere by the vanity according to where the source of the noise was. Elphaba occasionally whispered things she couldn't understand, as if the words were in another language. Other than that, the room was silent as the grave. She smelled like fresh vanilla, intertwined sweetly with cinnamon. She breathed in deeply, appreciating the complicated scent. Other smells surrounded her. Strawberries, over to in the direction of the vanity. They were one of her favorite fruits. Although, it was an artificial sort of smell, mixed with soap. Another scented shampoo. Those were expensive. You'd have to be rich in order to get them. The darkness was now bright with the redness of sunshine, and it was only then that she could actually feel it. Galinda smiled, taking a moment to absorb the glorious feeling. Then, at long last, her eyes fluttered open.

"Our schedules came in," Elphaba announced without preamble while Galinda sat up and got her bearings. She was handed a pink sheet of paper.

_First Hour: History- Doctor Dillamond_

_Second Hour: Mathematics- Doctor Dillamond_

_Third Hour: Biology- Doctor Dillamond_

_Fourth Hour: Foreign Languages- Professor Legway_

_Elective: Psycology- Professor Yerly_

_Elective: Sorcery- Miss Greyling_

"Sorry," the green girl apologized, taking the schedule back. "That one is mine. This is yours." Galinda looked down and examined it.

_First Hour: History- Doctor Dillamond_

_Second Hour: Mathematics- Professor Truman_

_Third Hour: Biology- Doctor Dillamond_

_Fourth Hour: Foreign Languages- Professor Legway_

_Elective: Sorcery- Miss Greyling_

"Why do you have so many more classes than me?" Galinda asked as she memorized all the room numbers.

"It's just one class, nothing to worry about. We only take one class a day anyways. Did you see your rotation? I changed mine so I'd be able to fit all my classes into the five day week." According to her schedule, she had History on Mondays, Mathematics on Tuesdays, Biology on Wednesdays, Foreign Language on Thursdays, and Sorcery on Fridays.

"Yes I do. What's yours?"

"Let's see...History on Mondays, Mathematics on Tuesdays, Biology on Wednesdays, Foreign Languages and Psycology on Thursdays, and Sorcery on Fridays."

"Wait a minute...Madame Morrible didn't say a word about both of us taking Sorcery," Galinda said in confusion.

"Does it really matter? We're both taking the class, aren't we? Now, I think we should go out and stock our mini fridge so we've got some food to eat."

"Mini fridge?" she repeated.

"In our kitchenette."

"Kitchenette?"

"Must you repeat everything I say? Get dressed and let's go. If you had been properly paying attention, we have a kitchenette in the back of this dorm." As it turned out, Elphaba was right. The kitchenette was over in the back, partially hidden by their suitcases. Galinda quickly got dressed and put on her usual amount of make-up. She didn't want to think about her parents today. She wanted to smile, laugh, and say everything was perfect. After fifteen more minutes, she was completely ready to leave.

"Alright, good. Let's go."

"Don't you find it strange that we barely know each other and are shopping together?" Galinda asked as they left the building and came out into the courtyard.

"We only need the essentials. It won't be a long trip. Why, is there somewhere you have to be?" Galinda resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"Your sarcasm is showing again," she muttered.

"Oh, I forgot my purse," Elphaba realized as they reached the middle of the courtyard. "I'll be right back." She turned and ran back inside. Galinda was all alone. She sighed sadly and sat on a nearby bench. It was hard and old, but it was sturdy and gave her a chance to relax.

"Why, hello, sexy," a boy said from over to her right. She looked up to see someone she didn't know. He had dark, wild hair that looked as if he had just rolled out of bed not long ago, and green inquisitive eyes which occasionally appeared to smoulder with a strange desire she didn't recognize. "Are you an angel, for it looks like you fell straight from heaven." She internally cringed at the horrible pickup line, but said nothing, hoping he'd go away.

"I'm Avaric," he continued, oblivious to her current mindset. "Hopefully two can become one...and hopefully three, if you know what I mean." He winked at her.

"Go away," she mumbled.

"Hey, I'm just being friendly," he said innocently. "You could at least give me your name."

"It's Galinda," she snapped. "Now can you please leave me alone?"

"I think we should get to know one another," he continued as if she hadn't spoken. "Surely we could hang out some time in my dorm room. Just you and me...alone...a glass of wine or two..." He leered suggestively at her.

"I said, leave me alone, you pervert," she growled in warning, but her voice didn't have the level of intimidation that she wanted to bring across. Avaric merely chuckled at her failed attempt to scare him off.

"You don't scare me," he said, as if that weren't obvious enough. "Now, where did we leave off...?" He bent over her. She could smell something sickening-the mixture of one too many drinks and a sickly sweet sort of thing, intertwining in his unpleasent breath. It smelled oddly familiar. And not in a good way, either. Her stomach flipped several times as the smell grew stronger. Avaric pressed his lips into her hair then pulled back.

"Stop," she said.

"Hardly," he replied jovially. "I think you're the one. Yes, I choose you." With that, he turned and walked away, giving her one last wink. She sat there stiffly for a few minutes. That boy gave off a bad vibe. She hoped that was the last she'd ever hear from him.

"Alright, let's go," Elphaba said as she walked up to her. Galinda didn't move. "Are you coming or not?" No answer. The green girl huffed a sigh. "Fine, ignore me. I'll go without you, and leave you all alone!"

"No!" Galinda blurted, too quickly. Elphaba gave her a look. _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I can't do anything right, I'm sorry, please please don't you hurt me, I'm sorry!_

"Sorry," she apologized, cutting off the thoughts at once. "Let's go." They took a a carriage to the local market in Shiz. It was a much better area than most places in Oz, so the streets were realitively clean and there were fewer homeless people in the streets. Of course, Galinda grew up in a nice area of Gillikin, where she saw none of the uncleanliness and crime in the first place, so this area appeared to be much lower in status to her.

Time didn't have much meaning to Galinda as they wandered around the hot streets of the market, buying milk, eggs, meat, bread, fruit, and vegetables. At long last, the only thing they needed was cheese. They arrived at the cheese vendor, close to a nearby carriage coming to a halt. Someone stepped out. Galinda froze and stared.

"What is it?" Elphaba said as she followed her gaze.

"Ah, we meet again," Avaric said cheerfully, nodding to Galinda. He fluidly approached her and kissed her on the hand, the way a gentleman would. She resisted the urge to reach over and slap the idiot silly. "Miss Galinda, it is a pleasure to meet you a second time. And who might this green freak be?"

"Elphaba Thropp," the girl said in a warning tone. "Watch the way you talk about me." Avaric smirked and righted himself.

"Well, Miss Elphaba, not all of us anticipate seeing people of your particular style," he quipped simply. Elphaba just rolled her eyes and huffed a sigh of annoyance. "And now...Miss Galinda, I hope you thought about the possibility of us being together some time in the near future."

"I wouldn't trust you as far as I can throw my roommate," Galinda replied snarkily. "Believe me, she'd probably have me writhing on the ground in severe pain if I so much as lay a hand on her."

"Your roommate?" he said, slightly amused. "I must say, you two make an interesting pair."

"What do you want?" Galinda interrupted.

"You, of course...I am requiring you to comply to my request."

"And I have already declined."

"Why?"

"Because you're a perverted jerk, that's why!" Elphaba watched the scene in silence. "Just go away, Avaric, we don't want you here." He merely shrugged, seeming unbothered by the fact he was clearly disliked.

"I will be around to ask again," he promised, turning to walk away.

"Borderline harrassment," Elphaba said flatly when he was out of earshot. "I'll keep an eye on this one." They finally managed to buy their cheese and return to their dorm room to put everything into the fridge before it all spoiled. Galinda relaxed on the bed while Elphaba made a simple breakfast of bread and fruit for the both of them. She ate her portion in silence. By the time she was done, Elphaba had already finished her own breakfast.

Elphaba flocked over to the vanity, where the largest book Galinda had ever seen sat laying open. She watched as the raven haired woman turned pages and whispered phrases in a different language, as if she was trying them out. It was a curious thing to witness, and a part of her really wanted to know what was going on. But the rest of her was uninterested, retreating back into herself. Memoires and feelings that she had been trying to ignore all day crept and crawled around inside her, unwanted and yet permenantly there, like invisible scars. Suddenly, one of them came into crystal clear focus, one of when she was just four years old.

_Young Galinda was at her happiest. She loved playing with the servants when they didn't have to work, and they loved her very much. However, her inquisitive mind was aware Momsie and Popsie weren't around often. At first, she dismissed this as normal and continued playing day after day, still in her bubble of joy like nothing was wrong. But some days later they continued to ignore their daughter. Galinda didn't know what was going on. She knew other mommies and daddies got busy, her friends at daycare had said so. Tomorrow winter break was over._

_"Nexter, do your mommy and daddy pay attention to you?" Galinda asked the next day._

_"Well, duh, they're supposed to," he said. "They always make sure I get enough to eat, some playtime with them, new clothes when I grow, and every day they say they love me." After daycare was over, Galinda decided to try out those things. Momsie was writing a letter in her office. The small blonde girl approached her mother for the first time in some weeks._

_"Momsie, it's lunchtime," she said, trying to hint that she was indeed hungry. She genuinely had forgotten to get a snack at daycare due to her worries._

_"In a minute," Momsie promised, continuing to work. Galinda left the room and went to go play. Two hours passed. She came back to see her mother was now sending a telegram._

_"I still need lunch," she reminded the busy woman._

_"Go talk to the servants, then! I'm busy! You're such a bother, you know that?" Galinda had to fight back the resulting hurt as she left Momsie's office that day. It was obvious her mother didn't love her, but maybe Popsie did. She walked into her father's room, putting on a brave face._

_"Popsie," she said carefully. He didn't seem busy, which was different from the usual. "Don't you love me?" All the sudden, she caught a sickly sweet scent that made her tummy feel funny._

_"What's that smell?" she asked, afraid that she was going to throw up right onto the carpet._

_"Not now, Galinda. It's not your concern. Go play with the servants." She sighed and left the room, knowing he wasn't going to listen. Mommies and Daddies were supposed to love their kids, weren't they? Well, why didn't they love her? Was she too loud and annoying? She did laugh and crash around a lot in the house. Maybe they'd love her if she didn't do any of those playful things. For the first time, she was beginning to miss her parents. And they were right in the house with her._

_The next day after daycare she played quietly in the house, all by herself. She was currently flipping through a simple children's book, gazing at the symbols that didn't mean a thing to her. At least, not entirely. There seemed to be a pattern of some sort. She was looking at a code that needed to be cracked._

_"Stop fooling around and do your chores," Popsie declared._

_"I thought our servants did them," Galinda said. What was going on? Were the servants fired?_

_"You were a bad girl for bothering me, so now you have to help out the servants today."_

_"I'm sorry, Popsie," Galinda said sadly. Did he love her now? Would he say it back? His repsonse dashed her hopes slightly._

_"If you were sorry, you wouldn't have done it. Now get to work." She sighed and abandoned the book she couldn't quite read yet. Maybe Popsie would love her if she did what he asked._

She clearly remembered the same smell on Avaric's breath. There was a connection here, she just had to find the right memory. At least that one hadn't been painful. Disconcerting and sad, yes, but not painful, for at the time things were only just beginning. Why didn't she notice sooner? Why didn't she see anything wrong? There must be something wrong if it had taken her four years to put the puzzle together, even if it was just a little bit.

No, she didn't want to think of this! Wasn't she trying to get it all out of her mind for today? She shook her head and tried to think of something else. Elphaba, she certainly was a curious person. Could they really be friends someday? She doubted it. If the girl ever found out about her problems, she'd definitely abandon her and never talk to her again. Her pain was such a burden. No one else could see it. No one else cared to ask, anyway. It would be worse, so much worse, if she put that burden on someone else, because they'd have it too, without it ever leaving her.

When would it end? She wanted to be loved, more than anything. As she hadn't gotten that from more than three people, the servants, in her entire life, she didn't think it was something she deserved. Besides, after a time, even the servants tired of her. By the time she was ten, they treated her like she was a background figure in their lives. There was no rhyme or reason. They just didn't want her around anymore. All Galinda did was get in the way. She was a bad girl. Very, very bad. Except sometimes. But being a good girl was worse, because of what came with it. She gulped and shuddered at the memory of it all-

No! Not anymore. It hurt too much. She let herself think of Boq instead. He seemed like a nice guy. What if they could actually be friends, despite the fact that she was too damaged for love? Too damaged. All the darkness and pain, swirling in a shattered soul lost of life and joy. She shook her head again. Why couldn't she ignore the thoughts? No matter what she did, they always came back, harder than before. Again and again and again. When would it stop? Then again, why should it, since it's all she has ever known?

_Not good enough. Never good enough._ Every time she realized this, it sent a fresh fiery flash of pain to her chest. It was the kind of pain she couldn't get used to. It left her breathless and unable to escape. _Not good enough. Never good enough._ It wouldn't stop this time. No...no...no. Her head was swimming with dizziness. Somebody was gasping desperately, she wondered what was happening, before she realized it was her. But she couldn't stop. The thoughts kept coming, escalating her fear and panic. Elphaba slowly turned around.

"Galinda?" she inquired softly. She was unable to respond. _Not good enough. Never good enough. Not good enough. Never_-nausea churned deep within her. Sweat beaded on her palms. Her chest ached. She felt violently ill in that moment. How much time had passed since this horror had started, she had no idea. A minute, perhaps less._ Not good enough. Never good enough. Alone forever._ Her stomach rocked and flipped. She was definitely going to be sick. _Not good enough. Never good enough. Alone forever. No one loves you. No one will ever love you._ She was in the bathroom now, gulping for air and trying to breathe, all to no avail. She was shaking now as the panic peaked.

"Galinda?" She could hear Elphaba's voice. Was Elphaba going to hurt her? She must, for everyone else did! But the thoughts wouldn't stop.

"Make...make it stop!" Elphaba's eyes widened, and took on a strange look she hadn't seen before. She ignored it, too consumed in herself.

"Calm down," Elphaba said softly. Calm down, how was she supposed to calm down when everything was falling down around her? There was such a sense of doom in her thoughts that she couldn't concentrate.

"I...feel...sick," she panted. Sweat rolled down her palms. They were slick and damp. A disgusting sensation to add on top of everything else she felt.

"Take slow breaths." Suddenly, the sickness welled up inside her.

"I...can't." She suddenly spun around and threw up into the toilet. Pant, pant, heave, choke, sputter, repeat. It happened several times. The world was spinning away, far away. Spots bloomed in her vision. She couldn't breathe. No more air. It was gone. Her world was becoming darker and more faint. What was happening? As the dizziness spun for one last time, she felt herself mentally falling forward into a void of some sort.

"I'm...going...to..." The blackness closed in completely, enveloping all her senses in a numb blanket of unknowingness. It was a relief, compared to all the suffering she had gone through that got worse so quickly. She welcomed the darkness and gave in without a fight.

It was an eternity and yet an instant later when she was aware of being on her bed again. Someone's hand was on her forehead. It felt nice and cool on her still sweaty forehead. _Oh, how lovely, maybe I'll just go back to sleep now-_no, she needed to wake up and see what was going on. The hand removed itself, and she wanted to cry out and say, no, keep touching me in that gentle way. It was something she'd never gotten before. Instead, she opened her eyes to see Elphaba sitting on the end of her bed, watching her carefully with concerned dark eyes. Then the girl asked her a question she'd never been asked in her entire life.

"Galinda, are you all right?" _Wait, what?_

"I..." The sick feeling was leaving her body. Her chest still hurt a little, and it was still a little hard to breathe. Her breathing wasn't quite back to normal yet. The worst was over, though. "I think I'll be fine," she replied at last. She sat up, causing her to nearly black out with dizziness. Elphaba pressed a green hand to her chest and held her down.

"Sh, you need to rest," she said softly. "Nessa, you're the doctor here. Could you tell me what happened, based on the description I gave you?" A girl in a wheelchair rolled herself to Galinda's bedside and examined her carefully.

"I believe Miss Galinda had an anxiety attack of some sort. Ah, yes, a panic attack, that is what it was, which can be caused by a number of factors, the main one being emotional distress. She will be fine. After some rest, of course, and keeping her calm. Water never hurts in situations like these."

"Thank you," Elphaba said with gratitude. "I've never seen anything like this before, so now I know what to do if it ever happens again."

"It was no trouble," Nessa said with a small smile. "Are you having any luck in the Grimmerie so far?" Galinda looked back and forth between the two girls in confusion. What were they talking about? _Don't eavesdrop, _a voice whispered in her head. She settled back on the bed and let herself drift off. Suddenly, the conversation stopped. Galinda opened her eyes and looked at Elphaba, who was over by the door. She was holding it opened as Nessa wheeled herself out.

"Let me know how Galinda is doing later on, okay?" Nessa was saying.

"Of course," Elphaba promised. The door closed and the disabled girl was gone. Galinda tried to sit up again, but the dizziness was still too much. She sighed and let herself sink back onto the pillows. Elphaba walked back to the bed with an unreadable expression on her face.

"How are you feeling?" The ache in her chest was gone, and the her stomach had mostly settled down. Her palms mostly felt dry. The only true discomfort was in her throat. She was thirsty. Elphaba laid a hand on her forehead again before she could reply. "Normal temperature," she muttered under her breath. "Yes, you'll be fine, like Nessa said. Please don't scare me like that again." Galinda remained silent as Elphaba drew back, knowing she couldn't make any promises.

"Alright..." Her roommate let out a long breath. "I'll go get you some water." She retuned with a small glass of water and handed it to the blonde, who desperately drained the contents.

"Easy there," she chided softly, taking back the now empty glass. "I can't have you making yourself ill." Why was Elphaba being so kind and gentle with her? Didn't she know that she was completely worthless? It was all so confusifying. The barest flicker of happiness flared within her, remembering that she used to change up words to how she liked them from the moment she could talk, up until the age of four.

"First the nightmare ands sleep walking...now this. Something's going on with you. Why won't you talk to me?" Galinda remained silent, slowly working on sitting up without triggering any dizziness. It took some minutes, but she managed to do it. Elphaba sighed in frustration. "This is why I don't ever get involved in other people's issues...things like this happen!"

"I'm sorry," Galinda said quietly. "I just can't. I hardly even know you. And it's better if things stay that way, trust me." Elphaba gave her a long, searching look before going back over to the vanity to look through the large book again, like she had been doing earlier that day. Galinda wanted to know what she was doing, but had a feeling it was none of her business.

"I suppose I'll give you time," Elphaba said after a long silence between them. "You definitely don't trust me, and I probably have yet to give you a reason to trust me, even though I helped out with that nightmare and sleepwalking, and this attack of yours..." She trailed off thoughtfully. "What I'm saying is, I have been a help to you lately. So, just think..." Galinda squirmed with guilt. Something in Elphaba's tone made her desperately blurt everything out right then.

"Why wouldn't you trust someone who has helped you?" she asked rhetorically when Galinda still didn't speak. "After all, we barely know one another, as you said." The tiniest part of her wanted to trust her roommate.

"I...want to trust you," Galinda said in a small voice. "But I can't. Not yet. I'm not ready to."

"Was that so hard to say?" Elphaba said, turning to face her. "That's all I wanted to hear, honestly. Don't worry. I'm not forcing you into anything." This caused a great weight to leave Galinda's chest and shoulders. It wasn't required of her to trust Elphaba. It was her own choice. She had the power here. That was hopeful and terrifying all at the same time. She tried not to be too bothered by the fact.

"I'll...I'll try," she said carefully. "I'll try to trust you." Elphaba gave her a small smile.

"It's a start," her roommate replied. "I'll take it. Now, why don't you get some rest, after that intense ordeal of yours?" Galinda nodded and sank under the covers. Perhaps now, she'd finally be left at a sort of peace of mind. How wrong she was.

_"Why do you always get in our way? You better stop this right now! Stop this nonsense! Alright, you asked for it." Five year old Galinda trembled on the spot as Popsie with an object she had never seen before: a whip._

_"P-Popsie," she whispered fearfully. Her blue eyes filled with tears as he pinned her facedown onto the hard floor._

She woke up with a start, gasping. All that she could remember was the intense pain, and so much blood. The rest of her dream was nothing more than blurred memories of fear. She laid there, letting her heart rate slow down before sitting up.

"Done resting already?" Elphaba asked. "You weren't even sleeping for an hour yet."

"Bad dream," she muttered. Her roommate nodded, as if she had been expecting an answer like that. Then again, when Galinda had nightmares, it was painfully obvious. Luckily, she had woken herself up before the sleepwalking started. She wasn't sure if Elphaba would be able to handle that. Then again, she probably didn't know how to deal with it the first time.

"By the way, Boq stopped by earlier and wanted to know how you were doing," Elphaba added. "I suggest you meet with him in the courtyard and assure him that you're alive, to ease his overexpressed worries. Apparently, Nessa must have told him what happened to you today." Galinda forced down the rising panic in her throat at that last statement. She left the room and went outside to see Boq sitting at the bench, waiting for her. She approached him.

"Galinda," Boq said quickly, getting to his feet the moment he saw her. "I heard about what happened. Are you alright? You still look a little pale. Do you need to sit down?"

"Relax, Boq," she said with a smile. "I'm fine." He looked relieved by this news. "How are you doing today?"

"I was doing great, but I noticed that Madame Morrible was acting very strange today," Boq shared in a hushed tone. He quickly looked around. Some students wandered around campus, talking and laughing. She envied their easy going lives.

"Strange how?" She really needed to have other things to think about. Distractions were good. They were nice.

"She kept asking everyone questions on someone from the Vinkus...some guy called Fiyero or whatever. Is he her lover?"

"Weren't you paying attention yesterday? Fiyero is the student who never arrived. I have no idea who he is, though."

"No one does," the Munchkin agreed. "Horrible Morrible is so crazy, I bet this Fiyero guy isn't even real."

"That wouldn't surprise me."

"Whatever's going on...we'll probably find out tomorrow. I hear talk from girls that Fiyero might arrive tomorrow. It's likely we will get to meet him."

"Wait...I thought the Vinkus was mostly unpopulated," Galinda said.

"It is, except for the royal family, the Tiggulars. Fiyero is next in line for the throne."

"Wait, he's _that_ Fiyero?" Galinda gasped.

"How many Fiyeros do we know?" Galinda rolled her eyes at the comment.

"I didn't realize, alright?"

"I have to get back to my room now. I just wanted to make sure you were alright, Galinda. It makes me happy to see you're well again." He gave her a soft smile before turning and heading for his room. The second she was gone, she sat on the bench. This was a good place to think. She seemed to be doing far too much of that lately. However, the dark thoughts tumbling through her head were impossible to get rid of. They didn't ever stop, plaguing her daylight and nighttime hours mercilessly. She whimpered and put her head in her hands, consumed in the internal blackened hell that was the void of any and all joy, love, and hope.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I haven't been getting as many reviews as the chapters went along. See that little review button? It's not so hard to press it...**

**Anyways, here comes good old Prince Fiyero. We shall find out why he's so late. Sorry this chapter is shorter. He doesn't have too many interesting thoughts to point out yet. I didn't want to make half of it rendundant with repeating the same ideas too many times.**

**Disclaimer: If only I'd get paid to write fanfictions, you know?**

"I can't believe the carriage broke down," Fiyero Tiggular said for the hundreth time to his carriage driver as they walked along the path.

"I know," Verelyn sighed tiredly as he dragged the Winkie prince's luggage behind him. On the day they were supposed to arrive, the carriage had unfortunately hit a tree and prompty burst into flames. This had ultimately delighted Fiyero, thinking he didn't have to go to school anymore, until Verelyn reminded him his parents would noticed if he just dropped out. Today was supposed to be the first day of the semester, but it had been required for students to show up in time to get their room number and schedules. So, he was very, very late. Not that he cared. School was currently the last thing on his mind.

How popular would he be at this new place...whatever it was called. He had no idea. He didn't care to know, either. He just needed to get through four years of this. After five schools in the past year, this was his last resort. Fiyero was certain he'd flunk out by the end of the month, but the only thing he really happened to be concerned about was getting popularity and the girls. He smiled up at the shining sun as he at last arrived on campus.

"I suppose I shall inform your parents that you arrived safely," Verelyn said. He set down the luggage and walked away without looking back. Fiyero quickly forgot about him and started to pull the large suitcase along. Manual labor wasn't his style. So long as no one saw him doing it, maybe he didn't have to lost any part of his reputation. He suddenly dropped the suitcase and stepped aside from it as people started filing out of buildings.

"Oh my gosh, didn't you hear about the fire?" someone said. "That was horrendible! Good thing it's being taken care of before things get worse."

"Why are you saying that word?" someone else demanded.

"Pfannee started the tradition, and she's the popular girl!"

"Oh, that makes sense." Fiyero smiled to himself, completely unnoticed in the filing crowds. It was only a matter of time before someone recognized him, and then he'd be surrounded by brand new friends. A few people gave him a second glance, as if they suspected something, then shook their head and continued on their way. This was becoming rather discouraging. How dare they disrespect the Vinkus prince!

"Hey, you!" he called to the closest girl he could see. "Carry my luggage for me, will you?" The girl looked at him like he was insane. Perhaps he was, but he didn't care. "I'll let you be my girlfriend," he offered. _Should have thought of this sooner! This is genius, she can't refuse me._ Her blue eyes widened, not in interest, but absolute fear. It was clear she was no longer seeing him.

"I-I don't even know you," the blonde stammared. She seemed frightened of him, her eyes beginning to glaze over strangely. Fiyero's first thought was to just ignore this and go on his way. She didn't want him, which was an unusual thing, but he'd experienced rejection before and knew how to handle it. But he hesitated ever so slightly. That moment of hesitation wasn't something he was familiar with either. In that second, he could sense someone watching him. He spun around and for a good five minutes wondered if he was hallucinating. The girl watching him had green skin. Some students said awful things to her as they passed. She ignored them, continuing to stare at him, not in awe or interest, but skepticality.

"Is there a problem here?" she snapped. Fiyero almost frowned. Almost. He didn't do that sort of thing often. Usually when he didn't get his way, he'd pull a frown. But, more often than not, he got what he wanted. But he wasn't one to allow himself to be lost in thought, so he quickly come up with a response.

"Of course not," he replied with his most charming of grins. Maybe this school just needs to be won over a little. He suspected that his parents hadn't written to the school about his "situation" like they normally did, which must be why no one knew who he was.

"Look, you leave Galinda alone," the girl ordered. Who was she to order him around? He was about to protest, but there was something in her curiously dark eyes that gave him pause. Two hesitations in one day? What was wrong with him? It must be the heat getting to his head, making him tired. Yes, that was it. He just needed to find his room and rest.

"Alright, I will," he said agreeably. "I'll be seeing you, then." The odd skinned girl huffed a sigh and rolled her eyes. Fiyero just shrugged and took his suitcase to where his parents had said his room would be when the had taken a tour last month. They reserved a room for him so he'd have his royal privacy. He lazily dumped the suitcase onto his bed and sighed happily. At long last, he was away from his parents. They actually encouraged him to live the royal life, up until he started college, that is. Then they said something about being "normal", whatever that was.

After an hour of relaxing on the comfortable bed, he decided to stroll on down to the headmistress's office to pick up his schedule. He might as well find out what classes he had to suffer through day in and day out. He casually walked along, not paying attention his surroundings. There was nothing _here_ to cause any concern from him. At long last, he found the headmistress's office and walked in with his typical confidence.

"It's about time, Master Fiyero," a woman said from behind a desk. Her soulless eyes glittered with an unreadable emotion as she stared at him for much longer without blinking than was appropriate. It made him slightly uncomfortable, but his flawless social skills forced him to not show it.

"My carriage broke down on the day I was supposed to arrive," he said. "Madame...?"

"Madame Morrible," the woman supplied. "I have your schedule right here. Come see me if you need anything." Fiyero took the pink paper from her and nodded. He turned and left the office, examining his schedule.

_First Hour: History- Doctor Dillamond_

_Second Hour: Mathematics- Doctor Dillamond_

_Third Hour: Biology- Doctor Dillamond_

_Fourth Hour: Foreign Languages- Professor Legway_

_Elective: Creative Writing- Professor Kumbra_

"Only one class per day," Fiyero said happily. Perhaps this school wasn't so bad after all. He folded up his schedule and put it into his pocket. Now, off to get popular. Except, his parents wanted him to be normal for once. As in, not the Vinkus prince he had been raised to be. He stopped in the middle of the hallway, completely confused. Whatever did it mean to not be in the upper class? Maybe he should start acting like usual and learn along the way. That seemed to make sense.

"Unbelievable, Pfannee has set up a party at the OzDust Ballroom for this weekend!" someone exclaimed as they came down the hallway. A party? That sounded like a great opportunity to act normal. He watched as a Munchkin boy passed by with a hopeful look on his face. "Maybe I can get Galinda to finally notice me," he continued, pausing close to where Fiyero stood. The prince wasn't used to being invisible, and bristled slightly in annoyance as a result.

"Did you say a party?" the prince asked with interest. The Munchkin boy looked at him, startled and embarrassed.

"You scared me! I...did you hear everything I just said? I'm sorry, I didn't see...you...there,'" he finished lamely.

"The party?" Fiyero said impatiently. He didn't like having to wait for things.

"Oh, right! Yes, there is a party...at around seven-thirty Friday night at the OzDust Ballroom. Pfannee has rented the place for the night, and even hired a band to play. It's going to be the party of the century!"

"I'm sure," he agreed. "I might like to date this girl you speak of. She seems like my type."

"Sure, if you like to date brainless bitches. I don't think you two would last very long."

"Do I look like I'm looking for commitment?"

"I suppose not..." He nodded in satisfaction.

"Of course not. Because if I get married, then I'd have to take the throne, which I really don't feel like doing."

"Wait, are you a prince?"

"Yes," Fiyero said in a 'duh' tone.

"And are you from the Vinkus?"

"Yes..."

"You're Fiyero!"

"Bingo, we have a winner," Fiyero said with a grin. The Munchkin stared in shock for a moment before recovering enough to respond.

"That's pretty cool. I'm Boq, by the way." It was strange meeting someone who didn't know his status at first. He had no idea what to think of that. Not that he did much thinking in the first place.

"I better get going. I need to get a head start on some homework," Boq said. "I'll see you around, Fiyero." He walked off, leaving the hall and going toward the boys' dorm rooms. He left as well, ignoring the people around him and just enjoying the day outside. For a good ten minutes he wandered aimlessly, until he saw two familiar girls by the girls' dorm rooms that caused him to pause.

"I'm telling you, that was Prince Fiyero!" the blonde girl was saying. "I'd know that face anywhere. I have read all the papers about him recently."

"Oh, alright," the green girl replied. She sounded uncomfortable. Fiyero ignored it and just walked up to them. Maybe they knew where this Pfannee girl was. If he found her, maybe she'd be attracted enough to date him. Oh, it was more than just a maybe there. He was damn gorgeous. He smiled at the two girls.

"Hey, you two familiar with a girl named Pfannee?" he asked charmingly. The blonde girl...Galinda, he realized, remained silent and looked down at the ground. She appeared to be slightly intimidated. It wasn't uncommon for girls to get shy around him, so he decided not to worry about it.

"Can't say I'm terribly familiar with her, but I've heard things," the green girl spoke up fearlessly. "None of them good, either. If I was you, I'd stay away from her as much as possible. Doesn't surprise me you're interested in the wrong crowd. That's fine, I guess. But don't bother all the good girls of the world if that's the kind of person you are."

"Right, then," Fiyero said, his voice shaking slightly. This girl's intensity was starting to bother him. "I'm sorry. There is no need for you to overreact." The green girl instantly sobered, becoming calmer.

"That is all I wanted to hear," she said, looking a little spiteful now. "Now, you just run along and mind your own business, Fiyero." He gave her a look of shock. She hadn't used his title. What was with this girl? He shook his head in disbelief and started to walk away. This day was getting too strange for him. The normal Fiyero would instantly forget about the encounter, but a small part of him wanted to know why that girl was so protective of Galinda.

The next day, Fiyero was awoken by sunlight streaming through the window onto his face. He squinted and sleepily sat up. It was barely past seven, and the sun had just started rising into the sky. He groaned and considered going back to sleep, before realizing his class started at eight and he needed to get ready. With another groan, the prince rolled out of bed, gracefully landing on his feet. He went through his morning ritual of getting ready: a steamy shower, complete with heated towels to dry off with, and taking his time on getting dressed.

At long last, Fiyero walked into his classroom just a few minutes after eight in the morning. Many students glanced at him, but he paid no attention, taking the first empty seat he could find just as the professor walked in. He was surpised to see that a Goat was teaching the class, but didn't make a comment on it. He had no idea what his parents' view was on the Animal rights in the first place, so didn't get the chance to form an opinion.

"What are you doing here?" a harsh voice hissed to his right. He knew that voice. Without even looking, he just knew it was that green girl.

"Clearly, I'm here to attend my classes," he replied, reisisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"No amount of charm and good looks will win me over, you know," she said, just as the professor started to speak.

"Good morning, class, my name is Doctor Dillamond," the professor spoke up. "We'll be starting off with evaluating the pathagorean therom, which is one of my favorite subjects in geometry, as I have stated to my History class yesterday."

"Fine by me," Fiyero said. "Not sure if I'd date you, anyway. You don't seem like my type." The girl rolled her eyes.

"Nobody thinks the 'green bean' is their type," she muttered. "You're going to have to come up with a better excuse than that."

"So you're saying you want me to date you?" he asked her, amused by this change in conversation. The girl flushed a darker green. She was blushing. He was used to making girls blush, but not like this.

"Of course not," she replied, a little too late. Suddenly she looked up at the Goat professor. He must have asked a question, for he was looking around expectantly.

"A squared plus B squared equals C squared," the green skinned girl said, looking at the Goat. He smiled at her.

"Ah, you remember, Miss, ah..."

"It's Elphaba." Fiyero tuned out most of the class, catching only bits and pieces of the lecture on the basic geometry theorems. He was aware of a homework assignment, something about finding a theory that has been disproven, but he ignored it. The second class ended, a good three hours later, that girl was out the door. He didn't get another chance to talk to her. Well, lunch was in ten minutes.

The cafeteria was crowded with students, which was to be expected in a school of this size. Fiyero took the day's hot lunch: a nice chicken and dumpling type soup and a salad. As careless as he seemed, he did care about his health. He ignored the salad and sipped at the soup. A girl with highlighted brown hair, a more than necessary amount of makeup, and ill fitting clothes sat in front of him.

"So, you must be Prince Fiyero," she said flirtily, batting her eyes at him. He smiled and winked at her.

"Careful now," he warned teasingly. "Say that any louder and you will no longer have any alone time with me."

"So, I guess this means we'll be spending a lot of time together?" she asked seductively, her eyes glimmering with admiration and desire.

"How about we hang out sometime?" Fiyero suggested. "What is your name?"

"Pfannee," the girl replied. "And I'm glad we got to talk...just tell me when and where, I'll be right on over as soon as possible." Pfannee smiled and left the table. Fiyero finished his lunch in peace. As he threw away his trash, he looked up and noticed that green girl Elphaba staring in shock at something. He followed her gaze and saw the blonde girl. She was unusually tiny and thin, but not severely unhealthy looking. However, this wasn't the unusual thing. She appeared to be terrified and looked rather pale. He watched as Elphaba moved for the blonde girl, Galinda, he reminded himself she was called.

What was going on? He was starting to become curious. He moved closer to the scene, but before he could so much as take more than a couple steps, that Munchkin boy got in his way. Fiyero sighed softly, but didn't speak up about his irritation. He stepped around Boq and kept moving. At this distance, he could hear the girls talking. He remained quiet and carefully listened in.

"Galinda, I need you to calm down," Elphaba said anxiously. "You're causing a scene."

"I...I...I..." Galinda stammared. Elphaba sighed and closed her eyes for a minute. She opened her eyes again and looked at the shaking girl.

"Alright, let me take you back to our room, that might help some." Elphaba led Galinda away, who still shook with fear. He watched them, wondering what was happening. Why was that girl so afraid? What was she afraid of? Normally, he wouldn't care, but the look on the green girl's face made him think twice. He hadn't ever done such a thing before. Yet, a girl he didn't even know, Elphaba, gave him more pause then he'd ever thought to give in his entire life. But, the moment passed, and he was back to his old self again. However, that instant was the catlyst for what he'd soon find out to be the biggest mess he'd ever walked into. And even that, would be considered a pathetic understatement.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: I'm sorry for the delay. I have been dealing with extremely personal things I thought I should share...for those who care.**

**Are any of you familiar with the site **** at all? Well, if not, familiarize yourself. Many people on this site not only partake, but encourage in extreme cyber bullying. I'm sure you're all well aware of the effects of such a thing, the worst of them being suicide.**

**So, April 7th, I joined this site, unaware of all of that. My username was number1amyfan because I love Evanescence and every member, especially Amy Lee. I joined this site, hoping I can find some people like me so I could talk about the band all I wanted. How wrong I was...**

**It was almost instant. A few names, here and there. Wearing my heart and soul to bear, I continued on as I was. Some of you may be aware I have issues with my mother, more so than a normal teenager would. I expressed every single problem. No holding back on the internet for me. I continually said how much I loved my father more than her and preferred to be at his house because it was the one place I could truly be happy.**

**Then the rumors began, to top off with the list of names. Rumors that I was sexually active with my father. Then a rumor that I was pregnant with his child, then a rumor that I aborted said child. It didn't matter how many times I stated I was a virgin, I might as well have "admitted" to it for all the good it did.**

**The name calling and rumors continued. A lot of time had passed by now, and at this point I was pretty much used to it. That didn't mean I liked it, though. Who would, anyway?**

**Sites typically have moderators and administrators, mods and admins for short. Mods and admins are the big bosses. Listen to them or else. So life is going along. There's this well known mod, Hades, also known as Cyril. He's married to this bitch-I mean girl called Persephone...but her actual name is Rose. They're total favorites of the chat rooms and all that jazz. Well, apparently they didn't like me, for whatever reason. Especially Rose. She HATED me. And she made sure I knew.**

**Then, in July, I was textbombed by 'Eris' and a bunch of her friends. I was told to get over it and move on, because apparently, it had only been a joke. So, I just forgot about it completely. A mistake. A huge mistake. How wrong I was...how stupid of me that I didn't see.**

**There is this feature on the site known as powerbombs. Everyone who has a premium account is given five bombs per month, and can give out one bomb each to any free account that is causing any sort of trouble. If the free account gets ten powerbombs, they get suspended for fifteen days. So, I bet you can guess what happened to me. I got suspended.**

**August third was my return. I was only slightly hopeful that I'd be warmly welcomed back, but at the same time knew I'd be attacked all over again. Why did I even bother returning? Well, I had friends on there. Some of them able to get me out of my darkest times of dealing with depression when it's at it's worst-resisting the almost irresitable desire to slice up my arms with a blade. Did I know then? Nope. Should I have? Maybe. I don't know.**

**Then came August eighth. I was having one of my okay days. Then I got to thinking some things that brought me down to a darkish place once again, and couldn't pull out of it no matter what I did. Oh...yes, to make things better I was being teased. Then someone told me I should kill myself. My thoughts spiraled down, and down, and down. It was thanks to someone on Twitter that I was able to move on with my life. She saved my life, I'm pretty sure of that.**

**If only it had ended there, right? Hah. Knowing my life, it was only the beginning. So back to this Rose bitch...chick...girl. Her hate only seemed to have grown for me overtime. So that same day, she took my number, which she still had...and put it on Craig's List, with my name. I'm sure many of you are familir with said site. And I'm sure you know what it means to have your name, your number, your picture, and face in an ad. Luckily the age and picture were fake. Not that it made a difference.**

**So. Text after text after text came flying to my phone after that. Nothing good at all, unless you like feeling severely uncomfortable and threatened. The texts had sexual content, and pictures were completely nude guys. Finally, my sister had the ad flagged and taken down. Half an hour later...or perhaps a little more than that, I got my number changed.**

**I wrote my last journal entry on that site, describing everything Rose did. It got next to no attention, of course. I gave up and attempted to put myself back together. Those people made my issues severely worse. They almost KILLED me. And no one even gets punished? Oh wait, I did. Over and over and over again. Don't they know the internet is really all I have?**

**Then, of course yesterday my depression was taking over my life again. Cycling between tears and trying not to send myself into panic. I don't think I have ever cried so much in one day. Had suicidal thoughts again, and it was thanks to a couple people I was talked out of that mindset.**

**Oh, this is where things get better. I finally looked up financial aid at the school I'd be going to...and I wasn't given any! NONE! I qualified and everything. Now I have to wait till Monday to call them, and that's assuming they'll fix this. If not, I won't be able to attend this semester. Or probably at all.**

**That night, this was last night by the way. It was late. I was roaming around on Twitter. I follow this antisuicide account called AgainstSuicide. The girl's name is Carrie Shade, and she's got a whole host of followers who support what she does. We good so far? Okay. Anyway, I've been following her for some time and she's a really great person, willing to help anyone who's struggling with any sort of problem. I noticed her mention this account called stopbullying194, who I learned later was named Jacob. Turns out, he was completely set on committing suicide that night. I was shocked and hearbroken. I knew I had to help save him.**

**Four hours and three hundred some tweets later, it was almost three in the morning and he had been away from the computer for almost an hour. I was so worried. I hoped with all my heart and soul he didn't overdose. My father told me to go to bed. This morning, I woke up and sleepily checked Twitter to see he was still alive. To my immense relief, he was. Last I heard he was getting some rest to recover from that nightmarish night.**

**So, that's been my life lately. If you managed to read all that and not get annoyed by my rambling, you're a saint.**

This day was a complete disaster. So, that Fiyero prince boy was even more of a jerk than she thought he was! He was such a typical upper class snob who thought he knew everything, but had the brain of a brick. Then again, maybe he had potential. She had yet to see it, for he only seemed to use his mind for its basic functions: eating, sleeping, and annoying everyone around him. And on top of that, Galinda decided to have another panic attack right in the middle of the cafeteria. Elphaba had recognized the signs, and managed to get the girl out of there before things got worse. It was a good ten minutes before she heeded the advice to calm down, and much longer to do so. Now, Galinda lay on her bed in a miserable silence, staring up at the ceiling.

"Why don't you take a nice, hot bath?" Elphaba asked when the quiet became too much for her to bear. The reaction she got was almost instant. Galinda sat up so suddenly that she nearly fell back again with dizziness. Her blue eyes were wide with a fresh jolt of fear.

"No! Not a bath!" Galinda shrieked, like a child. "Please!" she begged, breaking down into tears. "No bath time..." Her breath hitched as her sobs grew louder. "No, Popsie, please don't!" Elphaba frowned as she took in this new information. _Why is Galinda so afraid to take a bath? And she keeps mentioning her father._ It had taken her awhile, but eventually she had figured out that "Popsie" was what Galinda happened to call her father. An unusual nickname, but everyone had their preferences.

"Why are you so afraid?" Elphaba asked, hoping a direct approach would give her some answers.

"I don't want to be a good girl," she sobbed. "No, Popsie, no!" She then understood Galinda was not in the present moment. Elphaba cautiously approached the girl.

"Galinda, it's me. You're safe now," she said gently. She continued with her repeated cries, not seeming to hear her.

"Don't touch me!" Galinda whimpered. "Not there, please." She sounded more like a child than ever. That statement gave her pause. Not _there_? She stood there for a moment, considering what the implication could be. Father, a bruise, bath time, touching, and fear. _Holy Oz..._Elphaba's eyes widened as the pieces suddenly fell into place.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Elphaba said in a strained voice, trying to keep the pain and pity out of her tone. Galinda looked up, her eyes becoming less glazed over. Tears streamed down her face, and her eyes gleamed with such a brokeness that Elphaba felt an ache in her heart. She'd never seen someone so defeated and lost before.

"Galinda, my sweet, can you please trust me?" she asked in a careful voice. "I just want to help you." Suddenly, she was wrapped in a hug. Tears stained her uniform as Galinda cried silently into her shoulder. Startled, Elphaba awkwardly returned the hug, trying her best to give the girl as much support as she could.

"Thank you," she said in a choked whisper. "You're the first to care." They remained like that for a long time. At last, Galinda pulled away and wiped her tears.

"Do you want to tell me what he did to you?"

"No, not yet. It's too much right now." Elphaba gave her a long, seaching look, before finally agreeing that asking for more out of her would be far too much at the moment. She nodded, and Galinda looked very relieved by this. A long silence passed between the girls before the blonde spoke up again.

"I think I'll go take a shower now." She went into the bathroom, shut and locked the door behind her. Elphaba made no move to stop her, knowing she needed some time alone after that last intense...however long that had been. She checked the time. Over an hour had passed since lunchtime. Already it felt like an eternity ago. Elphaba sighed heavily and sank onto her bed.

So, her roommate was suffering from the effects from severe abuse. Her behavior made a whole lot more sense now, but she wasn't sure how far the hurt went. There was sexual, physical, and emotional abuse to address now. She carefully thought this through. How was she to treat Galinda now? Surely not with the same distance as before. That would make things worse for both of them._ Galinda really needs a friend right now._ Elphaba never had many friends as a child, so she was out of practice with the whole friendly thing. But that poor girl needed at least a little kindness and understanding. However, she was willing to try, if only to erase a sliver of her pain. The water suddenly stopped running, and Elphaba looked up a few minutes later, expecting to see Galinda leave the bathroom. Nothing happened for a long time. Finally, Elphaba went over and wrenched the door open.

Galinda sat on the toilet seat with her head in her hands. Her shoulders shook with near silent sobs. She was dressed in her pajamas, but she looked nowhere near like she was headed for bed otherwise, she was that lost in her crushing sorrow. Elphaba wished more than anything she could take her pain away, but knew it would take more than a few hugs to fix this. So, swallowing her sympathy, she helped Galinda to her feet.

"Come on, let's get you into bed," the green girl said softly. "You'll feel better in the morning." Possibly a complete lie, but perhaps anything is better than these worrying hysterics. It was as if the dam had broken, and when she started showing her true emotions, she just couldn't stop...Elphaba bit back another stab of grief. She hated the man who had done this to her. And who's to say her roommate's mother isn't also to blame, for letting it happen?

That night was generally restless for the both of them. Galinda woke up several times in the night due to nightmares, and Elphaba had to calm her down. Today, they had a four hour biology class with Doctor Dillamond. Was it really only Wednesday? This week seemed to be passing by so slowly for some reason. She shook her head and started to get ready for class. The morning went by without incident as they went to class together and took their seats next to one another. Then Elphaba noticed that annoying Fiyero was in yet another of her classes. She bit back a moan of annoyance and simply got out a notebook to take notes with. She had one for every class, color coded, with all the important things highlighted.

Class started uneventfully. Doctor Dillamond went over the structure of a goat and said dissections would be required as the semester went on. He then went to say their first dissection would be next week. Elphaba could see he was having a hard time with this, but it was part of the curricculum, and it had to be done. She took careful notes of the process, paying no attention to how quiet Galinda was being.

"Oh, hallow halls and mindrate walls..." Galinda whispered. Elphaba glanced at her. Wasn't that the Shiz University theme song? Why was her roommate singing it? Perhaps it was just one of those things that didn't need to be questioned. More time passed in Doctor Dillamond's lecture, during which the blonde girl next to her was perfectly well behaved.

"Elphaba, can I borrow a pencil?" Fiyero asked from behind her. She let out a sigh and handed over a spare pencil.

"Thanks," he whispered. Was the prince actually using manners? Perhaps he was starting act human after all. Of course, at that moment something just had to happen. Someone handed her a note. She warily looked down at it.

_Meet me by the Suicide Canal for a surprise!_

"Come on, Galinda," Elphaba muttered, grabbing her by the wrist. The girl gasped softly, but didn't say anything on the matter. Elphaba loosened her grip and pulled her out of the classroom, not thinking they were being watched at all. But, a pair of eyes followed them closely. It was generally to be assumed the eyes came with a head and body, but that was all which could be seen in the bushes nearby.

"It's Pfannee," Galinda said, pulling her hand out of Elphaba's grip. "This will not end well, I can see that now."

"I'm well aware she doesn't like me," the green girl said dryly. "Now hush a second and let me handle this." Finally, silence reigned between them. She let out a breath, approaching the canal, letting the note slip out of her other hand to the ground below. Together, they finally met up with the girl standing there waiting for them. She turned and smirked at them. Suddenly, Elphaba was jumped by two guys much stronger than her. She was ripped away from Galinda and shoved to the ground. She recognized Avaric, but the other guy was unfamiliar.

"Let's see if she melts in water!" Avaric's friend suggested. "Help me drag her into the canal, Crope." She struggled and kicked, but they were too strong. She was being carried now. They were going to throw her into the canal! It was at least a one hundred foot drop.

"Oh, fiesty, are you?" Crope sneered. "I like my women that way, just not green." They were closer to the edge now. Pfannee's smile grew wider. "You got her front half, Avaric? Her legs are driving me nuts." Elphaba normally did not beg for help, from anyone. She was stubborn and independent like that. But, there was no way for her to get out of this on her own. She was truly afraid. Heights and falling were among her worst fears. So, in desperation she looked up at Galinda, who stared at the scene in wide eyed fear.

"Galinda, help me!" she pleaded.

"I...I..." Galinda stammared. She was shaking slightly as she looked back and forth between Pfannee and Elphaba.

"Please!" She was seconds from being thrown off. She was most likely going to die. _I cant believe this is actually happening._ There was a brief moment where she held her breath, and then they launched her over the edge. She closed her eyes and screamed. A second later, someone grabbed her by the hand. Elphaba looked up and opened her eyes to see Galinda holding her hand.

"Why are you saving the green girl?" Pfannee asked in a snide voice. "I thought we were friends, Galinda."

"No, Elphaba is my friend," she said. "You don't hurt my friends." She struggled to pull her up, but she wasn't strong enough for the job. Elphaba used her legs to climb up the side as Galinda tried again to yank her up. She stumbled to her feet and clung to Galinda for dear life. Pfannee rolled her eyes and walked off, dragging Crope with her.

"Are you okay?" Galinda asked softly. Elphaba nodded and finally let go. "Alright, I'll meet you back at the dorm." She nodded again and took off, not stopping to look where she was going. As a result, she ran into the last person she wanted to talk to.

"Ouch!" Fiyero whined. "You better not have left a mark on my perfect face," he grumbled, picking himself up. Elphaba rolled her eyes and righted herself again.

"Oh, it's you," Fiyero said. Elphaba glared at him.

"Out of my way, pretty boy," she growled. "I have things to do."

"What sorts of things? Stopping by the Suicide Canal on your way?" Fiyero asked innocently, but he gave her a look that suggested he knew something.

"Unfortunately, I'm not here for sight seeing," Elphaba said flatly. "Out of my way, _Master_ Fiyero."

"I was genuinely curious," he said seriously, all signs of joking leaving his face. "After all, it's called the _Suicide _Canal for a reason. Is everything alright?" Elphaba gave him a long look, the irritation subsiding slightly. There was just something about him she couldn't quite place her finger on. Was it a hint of depth? She had no idea. She shook her head and shoved past him, headed for her dorm room. Not realizing Galinda hadn't returned until she arrived to see the room empty.

"Shit," she muttered. This was not good. She needed to go back to the Suicide Canal and find Galinda. Elphaba turned and left the room just as quickly as she had arrived. She returned to the canal, but didn't see any sign of her roommate. Where could that girl be, anyhow? Elphaba was starting to get worried. She didn't know where else to look. Not the library, or the cafeteria. Where would Galinda go to be alone? Maybe she was just overreacting. Elphaba sighed and went into the dorm room again. She got started with her studies and didn't look up, not even when Galinda came out of her hiding place, the bathroom.

"Where have you been?" Elphaba asked in a dangerously soft voice.

"I had a headache so I went to take some aspirin, and then I felt a little sick," Galinda said. "I'm sorry to worry you...wait, you were worried about me?"

"Yes, I was. Very much. That may seem like an unbelievable concept, but it's true." The remainder of their day was uneventful, and when they went to bed that night, Elphaba laid awake, wondering what it was about Fiyero that seemed different.


End file.
